Is Synthetic Oil the best choice for my Tundra?

After first purchasing a new vehicle, a lot of people wonder if they should start using synthetic oil. There are many benefits to synthetic oil over regular oil, including but not limited to higher purity, better resistance to high heat, better viscosity, and being less likely to break-down or turn into sludge. But these advantages may not matter depending upon how you use and maintain your new Tundra.

First of all, are you zealous when it comes to changing your oil? In other words, if the manual says to change your oil every 5000 miles, do you have the oil changed at 4999.9? If you follow an oil change regimen, chances are you won’t benefit from synthetic oil. Synthetic oil is highly resistant to breakdown and sludge forming. However, most regular oil won’t breakdown unless excessive time and/or mileage passes between changes. Because most the benefits of synthetic oil over regular oil don’t show until the oil is subjected to adverse conditions, you really won’t see any benefit from synthetic unless you stress the oil. If you are the type that might forget an oil change (shame on you), or if maybe you don’t get to changing your oil right at 5000 (or within 500 miles of 5000), then you can buy a little insurance against engine damage by using synthetic oil.

Case in point. My grandmother, who drives a few thousand miles a year (less than the Toyota recommended 5000 miles between oil changes), uses synthetic. Why? Because her oil can go more than a year between changes. Unlike regular oil, synthetic oil will last more than 6 months without any breakdown in effectiveness. So, if you (or someone in the family) is likely to exceed the 6 month time between changes OR is less than perfect at getting oil changed on time, a synthetic oil makes sense.

Another reason to consider using synthetic oil is if you find yourself in extreme conditions often, or if you find you’re running your engine a lot when the vehicle is parked. Extreme conditions (like high temps or high altitudes) will often cause the engine to run at higher-than-normal temperatures, which in turn will lead to accelerated oil break-down. If you’re running your engine a lot when your vehicle is parked, you’re also creating higher-than-normal temperatures in your engine. Synthetic oil performs better in these situations.

Synthetic oil is most often used in high performance vehicles. If you are utilizing your vehice like a high-performance car (high speeds, fast turns, you know who you are) then synthetic is a smart choice.

I’ve read a lot of articles about using synthetic if you’re in a lot of stop-and-go situations. I think that this really depends upon your individual situation. After all, anyone who has been to New York or Los Angeles will tell you stop and go in those places is different than anywhere else. Also, if you drive short trips only, people may recommend synthetic oil as a way to protect you engine. However, short trips, regardless of your choice of oil, damage your motor. No matter whether you use synthetic or regular oil, you engine was designed to be ran for at least 20 minutes. That’s the best way to protect your engine from damage due to short trips.

After reading this, you may have determined that synthetic oil is the oil for you. Use caution when purchasing synthetic oil. Sometimes your maintanence facility will suggest a synthetic blend to you as a way to save some cash. I suggest you pass. Most synthetic blends don’t tell you how much of the oil is synthetic and how much is regular. Remember — technically, synthetic blend could be 1% synthetic and 99% not. No blends (unlesss they’re recommnded by Toyota).

Last but not least, what does Toyota have to say about synthetics? “Any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle.” That means normal oil is just fine.

In conclusion: The new Toyota Tundra will operate for a very long time without the benefit of synthetic oil as long as the vehicle is properly maintained and used normally.